The Use of Deoxycholic Acid for the Clinical Reduction of Excess Submental Fat in Indian Patients

Copy: The injectable adipocytolytic drug deoxycholic acid (DCA) is the first pharmacological intervention approved for the reduction of submental fat (SMF) and offers an alternative to invasive measures to improve the submental profile and the cervico-mental angle. DCA injection (ATX-101, Kybella [United States], Belkyra [Canada]; Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., Westlake Village, CA, acquired by Allergan, Inc.), are proprietary formulations of synthetically derived DCA that is FDA approved for improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe convexity or fullness associated with SMF. Aim: As none of the aforementioned are available in India, we undertook this study to study the efficacy of generic DCA for SMF reduction in Indian patients. Methods: 50 patients with confirmed Indian ethnicity and unwanted SMF were injected 3 mg/cm2 of generic DCA into their SMF, with a 12-week follow-up period. In each session, 5 ml of 30 mg /ml DCA was injected. The sessions were spaced approximately 2 months apart. All these patients with reductions in SMF were reported using Clinician Reported SMF Rating Scale (CR-SMFRS) and Patient Reported SMF Rating Scale (PR-SMFRS) using the Validated Rating Scale for improvement in the appearance of their chin, the neck, and the cervico-mental profile. Also, for objective assessment of improvement in SMF, caliper measurements were used. Results: One session was required in 2 patients, 12 patients needed 2 sessions, 32 patients needed 3 sessions, and 4 patients needed 4 sessions. Altogether, 90% patients showed at least a decrease of 1 point in (CR-SMFRS). Reduction in SMF as confirmed by caliper measurements was statistically significant. Conclusion: The findings show generic deoxycholic acid to be equally effective in the treatment for SMF in Indian patients. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019;18(3):266-272.